Toughie No 3589 by Chalicea
Hints and tips by Whybird
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Konnichiwa! Which I have learned is the appropriate Japanese greeting for those viewing this shortly after the GMT publication time. Thank you to Shabbo for filling in whilst I was on my travels – very much appreciated! Cranes, eagles and owl all successfully tracked down and “ticked” along with many other avian delights, with the added bonus of great food, beautiful scenery (and some not-quite-so-beautiful fishing ports) and atmospheric Onsens. And plenty of 12d’s illustration in the moat of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace.
I was delighted to see Chalicea’s name on the page today; just the ticket for a return to duty, and I wasn’t disappointed. I found this to be reasonably straightforward, although leavened with some sneaky bits of “general not-knowledge” that I had to check. The clues are all clear and elegantly concise – definitely to my taste, although some of the NW corner held out a little longer than the rest. I particularly like 19a and 26d, and 6d also makes the podium for the solution being a lovely word. Thanks to Chalicea for such a warm welcome on my return to the Big Dave Blogosphere!
Please leave a comment telling us how you fared and what you liked about the puzzle.
Across Clues
1 A moral purge modified indoor pastime (7,4)
PARLOUR GAME An anagram (modified) of “A moral purge” gives a type of entertainment associated with a named room of a house
9 Forbid chaotic vote (4)
VETO An anagram (chaotic) of “vote”
10 Eliminate pair of nincompoops in a hollow tussle (11)
ASSASSINATE Repeat a three-letter “nincompoop” and follow them with “in” and “a” from the clue and the outer letters (hollow) of “tussle”
11 Draw attention to showy plant (4)
FLAG A double-definition, the second being an alternative name for a relatively tall, elegant flowering plant
14 Consider again queen around weak king (7)
RETHINK Reverse the initials for the late Queen, follow that with a synonym of “weak” often used to describe eg watery soup and cap it off with one of the usual abbreviations for “king”
16 Reserve early, essentially, in primarily key site of winter sport (3,4)
ICE RINK A charade of a three letter synonym of “reserve” in the sense of coldness, the central letter (essentially) of “early”, “in” from the clue and the initial letter (primarily) of “key”
17 Absorbed order by Democrat (5)
DRANK The abbreviation for “Democrat” is followed by a synonym of (put in) “order” as verb
18 Remove some appointed officers (4)
DOFF The solution is lurking (some) in “appointed officers”
19 Mum loves occasionally leaving Oxford? (4)
SHOE A two-letter command to keep Mum (as in be quiet) is followed by the remainder after removing the odd-numbered letters (occasionally leaving) of “loves”
20 Article on hair cosmetic, bringer of good news (5)
ANGEL A two-letter indefinite article followed by a type of product often/sometimes used on hair gives a bringer of good news especially associated with the Nativity
22 A grain’s converted for an alcoholic drink (7)
SANGRIA An anagram (converted) of “A grain’s”
23 Papal church tale of chivalry (7)
ROMANCE The adjective for the church led by the Pope, followed by a two-letter abbreviation for Henry VIII’s “rival religious organisation”
24 Pinkish-yellow fruit not initially for everyone (4)
EACH Remove the first letter (not initially) from a type of fruit (Roald Dahl wrote about a very big one)
28 Blimey! Start of real euphoria in interdependence (11)
CORRELATION A charade of a three-letter exclamation synonymous with (and often used with) “Blimey”, the initial letter (start of) “real” and a synonym of euphoria
29 Propeller failing to start for ship’s company (4)
CREW Remove the initial letter (failing to start) from another name for “propellor”
30 No alchemist manipulated this vending apparatus (4,7)
SLOT MACHINE An anagram (manipulated) of “No alchemist”. I associate the solution more with gambling rather than vending, but that may indicate something of a misspent youth
Down Clues
2 A line initially sprinted over too (4)
ALSO A charade of “a” from the clue, the usual abbreviation for “line” and the first letters (initially) of “sprinted” and “over”
3 Lout pursuing goal – ultimately do nothing (4)
LOAF A synonym of “lout” (or an unintelligent person) follows (pursuing) the final letter (ultimately) of “goal”
4 A French inlet not in good condition (7)
UNSOUND The French masculine “a” followed by a maritime inlet (a famous one will be very familiar to New Zealanders)
5 Kind, but not posh, Roman clan (4)
GENS A (taxonomic) “kind” lacking Nancy Mitford’s letter indicating “poshness”. I didn’t know the Roman clan, but it was no surprise to find the word I came up with was one!
6 Dull surface fine coating cold pickaxe (7)
MATTOCK An adjective indicating a “dull surface” followed by the insertion of the abbreviation for “cold” into a two-letter term indicating “fine” (or alright)
7 When ill, swig rum to produce positive thoughts (4-7)
WELL-WISHING An anagram (rum) of “When ill swig”
8 Accommodation manager curiously ogled goalie (5-6)
LODGE-KEEPER An anagram (curiously) of “ogled” followed by another term for “goalie”
12 I travel by spectacle containing constant play of rainbow colours (11)
IRIDESCENCE “I” from the clue, followed by a four letter synonym of “travel” (eg on horseback) and another word for “spectacle” into which is inserted (containing) a universal constant
13 Obstinate son kissed amorously after squabble (5-6)
STIFF-NECKED Take the usual letter for “son” and a word meaning “kissed amorously” referring to a body part and insert between them a type of “squabble”
15 Foreign currency showing up in manor kitty (5)
KRONA The answer is lurking (showing), in reverse (“up” in a down clue) within “manor kitty”
16 Popular umpire turns up to conclude from evidence (5)
INFER The usual two-letter “popular” followed by in inversion (turns up) of an abbreviated alternative term for “umpire”
20 Fan, say, of unemotional and relaxed backing tune (3-4)
AIR-COOL Another name for “tune” is followed by (backing) a word meaning both “unemotional” and “relaxed”
21 Shy essayist’s plant (7)
LOBELIA A three letter synonym of “shy” (as in throw) and the pen-name of Charles Lamb. Every day is a school day!
25 Jog back to right (4)
TROT Invert (back) “to” from the clue and the two-letter abbreviation for “right”
26 Desire topless charmer (4)
ITCH Remove the first letter (topless) from a “charmer” as in a person, traditionally, but not exclusively, female, who casts spells
27 Urban area to west and north (4)
TOWN “To” from the clue followed by the usual “west” and “north”
I too had to confirm the name of the Roman clan in 5d but everything else went in without a problem.
A fairly gentle, though enjoyable start to the Toughie week.
My thanks to Whybird and Chalicia.
Add me to the list of those who needed to check that 5d was an actual word.
Many thanks to Chalicea for an enjoyable puzzle, and to Whybird for the write-up.
You’ve accidentally given away half of the answer in your clues for 8d!
Oops! Thanks for pointing the error out. Now corrected. I’d likely say I was checking for full readership… but I’d be lying!
Beaten by 5d as I have never heard of it. The rest was most enjoyable and, if it hadn’t had been for 5d it would be my quickest Toughie solve (No that I manage that many). I couldn’t get “house” out of my mind for the first word in 8d. I should have read the clue more carefully.
Thank you, Chalicea for a most enjoyable puzzle. Thank you, Whybird for the hints.
I thought house as well!
A quick grid fill but needed Mr G to get me there with the last letter for the Roman clan + post solve explanation/confirmation required for both the iris + the essayist even though both rang a bell & pretty sure they’ve cropped up a number of times before. The get well cure at 7d & the idiot hit job at 10a were my top two.
Thanks to Chalicea for another very enjoyable puzzle & to Whybird (welcome back) for the review.
Just what we have come to expect from a Toughie from the Floughie lady – light and great fun with a few things to look up along the way.
Many thanks to Chalicea for the entertainment and to Whybird.
Great puzzle, not often I finish a Toughie😁 Thanks to all.
I can’t remember seeing Chalicea in the setter’s chair for a Toughie for some time, or it could just be my failing memory. Anyway, a welcome return indeed and a fun and friendly puzzle that I enjoyed immensely. Like others, 5d was a bung-in, and my top clue was 10a.
My thanks to the aforementioned and Whybird.
Looks as though the Roman clan fooled all of us and I also needed to check on Lamb’s pen-name to fully parse 21d although the answer was fairly obvious. As far as favouritism is concerned I was quite partial to the indoor pastime that needed to be modified on moral grounds – would that be ‘spin-the-bottle’ perhaps?
Thanks to Chalicea for the fun and to Whybird for the review – pleased to hear that you enjoyed the trip to Japan and got plenty of ticks on your bird list!
Thanks Jane. I thought of spin-the-bottle too, although I recall Postman’s Knock had a reputation when I was of a certain age.
9 ticks in total (a challenge for our setters, perhaps – can they get Blakiston’s Fish Owl or Steller’s Sea Eagle into a puzzle?) but many other superb birds beyond the ticks Gyrfalcon and White-backed Woodpecker to name but two!
Didn’t know the Roman clan or the pen name so had to check but the rest was enjoyably straightforward. A good start to the toughie week. Numerous contenders for favourite but I’ll go with 12d. Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird.
Thank you Whybird and happy solvers. I. too am somewhat relieved when I find that a Toughie is not an Enigmatist challenge. I’m pleased to have given the Toughie week a gentle start and I really appeciated your 12d and 21d illustrations Whybird – all of them in fact. Yes, the Roman tribe was new to me too: of course I give a relatively easy clue for any word I feel to be somewhat obscure – that earns me the Floughie label.
Thanks for dropping in, Chalicea. And special thanks for 12d giving me an excuse to link in to my “work and birding” Eastern excursion. Hoping for Red-crowned Crane to turn up was perhaps a tad optimistic!
Thank you, Chalicea for the fun and for popping in. I always enjoy your puzzles but I think your EVs would stump me. I haven’t a clue how they work.
Thank you for this one. I saved for today, as I can rarely get a foothold on Fridays. Much enjoyed. Wish we saw more of your puzzles,
A Chalicea puzzle is always an enjoyable, but accessible, tussle. I too fell foul of the Roman clan but other than that all went smoothly. Cotd for me is 12d by a smidge.
Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird.
Thanks Whybird, great tips. I am getting into these toughies and much prefer to have tips then cheating.
I’m so glad the hints were helpful! And welcome to the fun world of Toughies, Floughies and Downright Impenetrables that occupy the Telegraph’s inner pages.
And you’ve found the right site to help you. A Godsend in Internet form!
What a Tuesday treat, many thanks to Chalicea! I too had not heard of the Roman clan but the French soprano Veronique of the same name is one of my favourite singers. I had no idea that the u poshness indicator was attributed to Nancy Mitford…. I do now!
Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird.
Great fun thanks to all. Re 1a mentions made of postmans knock.
I preferred jockeys knock.
Same game but more horseplay
Thank you very much I’ll be here all week!
Prompted to try the Toughie for only the 3rd time by SC in the DT comments where he said it is friendly today and so it has proved. Like others. I was not sware of the Roman clan and the pen name of Charles Lamb, but still completed it faster than the back page
.
A very pleasant puzzle completed fairly quickly, with only a few slight pauses. A-level Latin and a general interest in things Roman meant that the family in 5d presented no problems. That and the double twerps in 10a were probably my favourites.
Thanks to Chalicea for the puzzle and Whybird for the hints.
I slipped off to the land of nod with this not quite finished. I will have a final go after perusing Whybird’s hints. I did like the fruity drink as it brought to mind a day at the races where I convinced myself that Pimms (the English version of Sangria) wasn’t really alcoholic. It is a toss up as to whether the sorry nag that fell in the last race was in a worse state than I.
Thanks to Chalicea and Whybird. Time to see if today’s offering keeps up the gentility.
If anyone at Telegraph Towers is reading, can I put in a request for a Chalicea in the Sunday Toughie.
Lovely puzzle, and glad I saved it for today, Friday which usually makes me feel like giving up cryptics. This treat from Chalicea restored my confidence, always a fair and friendly challenge. Only hang ups were 5d and 6d, which were both new to me. Happy that 10a and 30a jumped off the page at me. Thanks Chalicea and Whybird. Now if someone could arrange for puzzles like this in the Friday cryptic slot I would be one happy camper.
1*/5* …..
liked 7D “When ill, swig rum to produce positive thoughts (4-7)”